Novak Djokovic already tried getting ready for the French Open with an appearance in Geneva last year, losing to Tomas Machac in the semifinals. This time he starts his campaign against 2018 champion Marton Fucsovics. Who do you think will come out on top?
ATP Geneva Day 4 Predictions
Matteo Arnaldi vs Fabian Marozsan
Head-to-head: Arnaldi 2-0
Two players who picked up some big wins during this clay season, but are just struggling to put it together consistently. Geneva conditions suit them both with Fabian Marozsan usually producing a very aggressive gameplan for a clay-courter, while Matteo Arnaldi can play it all but often struggles to choose the right approach for a given match. Maybe that’s why he tends to do pretty well against Marozsan–in this matchup he can mostly respond and rely on his instincts, there’s no space to overcomplicate things.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 3
Alexei Popyrin vs Jacob Fearnley
Head-to-head: First meeting
For somebody who had virtually no clay-court experience prior to this season, Jacob Fearnley is performing very well. His game is pretty physical and he can play the forehand very heavy when he wants to. 8-4 win/loss record is definitely above expectations and he’s not out of this match either. With Alexei Popyrin’s spotty form besides the Monte Carlo quarterfinal, Fearnley feels like a very live underdog. His game is a lot more solid than the Australian’s, maybe he can rely on that.
Prediction: Fearnley in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Marton Fucsovics
Head-to-head: Djokovic 5-0
There are two ways to look at this head-to-head record: Novak Djokovic has never lost to Marton Fucsovics, but if you go deeper into it the Hungarian was a pretty frustrating opponent for him on at least a couple of occasions. Nowadays, we’re really struggling to predict how mentally engaged the 24-time Grand Slam champion will be in a given match. If Fucsovics plays with good discipline and uses the slice intelligently, he can bother Djokovic again. But if the Serbian is hungry for more pre-Roland Garros time on court, he’ll find a way.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
